US armed forces
Mark Conley
Active member
another time you do not salute is when it would not be safe to do so..like when you are part of a group doing weeds and seeds and a officer approaches while your working...the work party leader does that for the group (how ever, if you are the first to spot him, you get up an announce his presence to the group and salute)
another time is when both arms are full..say like when you are carrying a aim-7 missle...
the cardinal rule is...when in doubt..whip it out ( the salute gonzo...the SALUTE!) aw those army guys...sheesssh!
another time is when both arms are full..say like when you are carrying a aim-7 missle...
the cardinal rule is...when in doubt..whip it out ( the salute gonzo...the SALUTE!) aw those army guys...sheesssh!
I'm not in the US armed forces, so I can't answer for them..
But here in Norway we do not salute when we are out in the field.
It's easy for a sniper to take out the person(s) everyone's saluting.
So if you don't like your superior officer, start saluting.. :twisted:
(I didn't say that, it must have been someone else..... )
But here in Norway we do not salute when we are out in the field.
It's easy for a sniper to take out the person(s) everyone's saluting.
So if you don't like your superior officer, start saluting.. :twisted:
(I didn't say that, it must have been someone else.....
)British saluting trivia, I think you Yank cousins will like this:
Apart from in the field offiers are (supposed to be!!) saluted at all times, unless the soldier doing the saluting is not wearing headdress. THe only exception is The Household Cavalry Regiment (comprised of the Life Gurads and the Blues and Royals). They salut even when not wearing headdress. It dates back to a calvalry charge (I wish I could remembder where and when) but the Maquis of Granby who was leading the charge lost his wig - a real social faux pas in those days let me tell you. Anyway, to cover any embarrassment, his soldiers continued to salute him as if nothin had happened, and another quaint British military tradition was born.
Also, soldiers in my Regiment salute Officers Wives (usually just the Colonel's), but I think that is just a Regimental thing.
Apart from in the field offiers are (supposed to be!!) saluted at all times, unless the soldier doing the saluting is not wearing headdress. THe only exception is The Household Cavalry Regiment (comprised of the Life Gurads and the Blues and Royals). They salut even when not wearing headdress. It dates back to a calvalry charge (I wish I could remembder where and when) but the Maquis of Granby who was leading the charge lost his wig - a real social faux pas in those days let me tell you. Anyway, to cover any embarrassment, his soldiers continued to salute him as if nothin had happened, and another quaint British military tradition was born.
Also, soldiers in my Regiment salute Officers Wives (usually just the Colonel's), but I think that is just a Regimental thing.
DTop
Active member
Good one Rndr I remember in Vietnam that the only time an officer was saluted in a combat area was when the saluter didn't care to have him around anymore!
I've saluted officers who were in civies whenever I recognized them. I always found that to be the most courteous policy. Of course if you're working together all day long, once in the morning is fine.
gjc that's a good story which I have no doubt is absolutely true.
A little story of my own. Once when I was doing some routine maintenance on my vehicle, literally under the hood, I heard a voice scream "Don't you salute officers?". I looked up and there was this young lieutenant and he was directing his comment to me. I merely told him "Yes, sir I do when I see them". Before I could even render a salute to him he demanded that I take him to my Company Commander! Well, I was kind of surprised but I took him across the street to the C.O.'s office. The young Lt. told me to wait outside while he went in to register his complaint. I waited outside the C.O.'s window just close enough to hear much of what was being said. Sure enough this young officer was very upset that I didn't salute him. When the C.O. asked him my name, he didn't know but said that I was waiting outside. The C.O. looked out the window and said "Are you sure that's the man out there?". The Lt. said "Yes Sir". My C.O. then said that "That's one of my finest NCOs and he doesn't salute me that often, lieutenant, so get the hell out of my office, I've got work to do". He did call me in and asked me what happened and just told me to get back to work.
Sorry all this talk of saluting brought that incident back to me, thanks, I still chuckle when I think about it.
I remember in Vietnam that the only time an officer was saluted in a combat area was when the saluter didn't care to have him around anymore!I've saluted officers who were in civies whenever I recognized them. I always found that to be the most courteous policy. Of course if you're working together all day long, once in the morning is fine.
gjc that's a good story which I have no doubt is absolutely true.
A little story of my own. Once when I was doing some routine maintenance on my vehicle, literally under the hood, I heard a voice scream "Don't you salute officers?". I looked up and there was this young lieutenant and he was directing his comment to me. I merely told him "Yes, sir I do when I see them". Before I could even render a salute to him he demanded that I take him to my Company Commander! Well, I was kind of surprised but I took him across the street to the C.O.'s office. The young Lt. told me to wait outside while he went in to register his complaint. I waited outside the C.O.'s window just close enough to hear much of what was being said. Sure enough this young officer was very upset that I didn't salute him. When the C.O. asked him my name, he didn't know but said that I was waiting outside. The C.O. looked out the window and said "Are you sure that's the man out there?". The Lt. said "Yes Sir". My C.O. then said that "That's one of my finest NCOs and he doesn't salute me that often, lieutenant, so get the hell out of my office, I've got work to do". He did call me in and asked me what happened and just told me to get back to work.
Sorry all this talk of saluting brought that incident back to me, thanks, I still chuckle when I think about it.
RnderSafe
Active member
When I got my brass, after being an NCO .. it took being saluted some getting used to. I would often catch myself chewing out some PFC or Spec4 for saluting me .. when much to my embarrassment, I would realise "oh yeah, I'm an O now!" "Uh, Carry on Ranger!" Lots of bewildered FNGs around me during my "adjustment period." I never really cared much for it, and never expected my troops to salute me unless we were having a discipline problem. I guess you can't take the NCO out of the Officer.
Redneck
Active member
I always salute any officer I recognize even if they are in civilian clothing, or if I am in civilians and they are in uniform (gotta keep my bases covered :lol: ). I do not know if it is SOP elsewhere, or if it is just left as a matter of courtesy.
There are also "safe" zones where saluting is not required, such as the Pentagon courtyard (I believe covers are also optional there), which is the largest such zone. Here we have a no-salute zone going out 15 meters from the officers' offices, outside, since there is so much brass traffic in that area.
There are also "safe" zones where saluting is not required, such as the Pentagon courtyard (I believe covers are also optional there), which is the largest such zone. Here we have a no-salute zone going out 15 meters from the officers' offices, outside, since there is so much brass traffic in that area.
JaegerWolf08
Active member
I never salute officers in the field, and when they get mad, I just remind them that if this was a combat enviorment they would be marked as a target. He if you want a 7.62x39 round in the Grape then be my guest....sir. But all of the really good officers don't salute in the field.
Saluting in civilian clothes though? I do believe that you are not supposed to. You are only supposed to recognize the officer, and give the the proper greeting of the day.
It is always funny seeing new LTs get saluted, they look so happy when you salute them.
Some officers avoid large groups of enlisted men just so they don't have to salute. We had one such officer, 2LT Hastings(bigtime *******) an FA officer. We knew he hating always giving out salutes so, we were walking in a gaggle, and when we saw him walking towards us, we all merged into one single file line, and spread out about 5-10 meters apart, just so he had to return ALL of our salutes.
Saluting in civilian clothes though? I do believe that you are not supposed to. You are only supposed to recognize the officer, and give the the proper greeting of the day.
It is always funny seeing new LTs get saluted, they look so happy when you salute them.
Some officers avoid large groups of enlisted men just so they don't have to salute. We had one such officer, 2LT Hastings(bigtime *******) an FA officer. We knew he hating always giving out salutes so, we were walking in a gaggle, and when we saw him walking towards us, we all merged into one single file line, and spread out about 5-10 meters apart, just so he had to return ALL of our salutes.
JaegerWolf08
Active member
I just have one question about saluting, I was walking with two other guys, and a 1LT and MAJ were walking in the opposite direction, we saluted and only the MAJ returned the salute, so of course joe was like, "what the F***, over" and offended that the 1LT didn't return our salutes. When a junior and senior officer are walking together is the senior officer the only officer that is supposed to return the salute?
